Life belt



May 19, 19.25; 1,538,484

s. H. HAHN ET AL LIFE BELT Filed ANov. 8, 1924 QW( Eecl Morse,

Patented Maly 19, 1925.

UNI-TED' 1 I `1,538,484. .PATENT oriujzii.A

SAMUEL H. lHann AND rnnn Mossa, or NEW nAvENmoNNEcrit-:Un

LIFE. BELT.

elimination led November It is the object of .our invention, among` other things, to provide a device of `this character that may be readily inflated under conditions of stress with the minimum labor and knowledge of the structure and operation of the belt, and which will not become disarranged in its parts* or leak when not in use even under the'fmost adverse'conditions.

`The improvements in the details and arrangement of parts will be apparent from an inspection of the accompanying drawings in connection with the description hereinafter contained, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed :tor the purpose of imparting an understanding of the same.

In the drawings; p

Figure 1 vis a perspective view of a life belt constructed in accordance with our in vention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional eleva(- tion of the valve mechanism;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional' view thereof, takenv generally upon line 3`3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken generally upon line 4`4 of Figure 2. t

` Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connectionv with whichv like .characters of reference indicate corresponding parts; designates the life belt, which is of conventional form, the ends being vsecured together by buttons 11 or other fasten# ing means, and having suitable straps 12 to support the belt upon the shoulder, which are joined by the band 13. This belt constitutes no part of the present invention which may be adapted equally as well to any other type or `form of life belt.

'Our invention relates more particularly to the means whereby the belt may be inflated 8r 1924. Serial No. 748,766.

I Outwardly liar-ing port- 22, the juncture between this port and. shoulder forming a suit.- able valve seat 19. Movable endwise upon thisbody portion 18 is a mouth piece 15 having a shoulder 17 thereon, which engages a-shoulder upon the underside of the head 29 on the body 18 and thus limits its outward movement. This mouth piece terminates aty one end in an outwardly flaring throat portion 16 and has a threadably secured pin 28 that entends across the opening therethrough. i

Movably mounted within the bore of the bodymember is a valve 23 having a conical portion 25 near one end, and a tip 24 adjacent thereto. c The lopposite end -is substan tially angular in cross section,` as shown in Figure 4, so as to provide ample means for the passage of air through the chamber 21. This valve is normally held with the conical portion 25 against the seat 19 by a spring 26, which engages the transverse pin 27 secured inthe body 18.

Tn operation, after the belt is positioned, the wearerplaces the large end of the throat portion 16 against his lips and the pressure thereony moves the mouth piece parallell with the axis of the body 18. During this movement the pin 28 engagesthe tip 24 and moves the valve 23 longitudinally within the body 18 against the tension of the spring 26 and the conical portion thereof away from the seat 19 permitting air to pass through ythe chamber 21 and tube 14 into the kbelt 10. After the life belt has been inflated, the pressure of. the spring 26 returns the valve 23, and the conical portion 25 thereon again engagesits seat 19, thus automatically sealing the lite belt against escape of air therefrom.

Having described our invention, whatwe claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. Mechanism of the class described, comprising a body member having a valve seat near one end thereof, a `valve within the body member, yielding means for moving the valve upon its seat; and a mouth piece sldably connected with the body member having a part connected therewith which during its movement in one direction engages the valve and moves it oi its seat.

2. In mechanism of the class described; a body member having a chamber therein7 which terminates at one end in a valve seat; a part 'lixed in the body member and projecting into the chamber; a valve within the body member; a flexible element between said part and valve for normally holding the same up-on its seat; a mouth piece slidably connected with the body member; and a part iixed in the mouth piece in line with the valve, whereby the same will be engaged thereby and moved o its seat by the relative movement of the mouth piece.

3. In mechanism of the character described; a body member having a head portion at one end and a. chamber therein, which terminates in a valve seat; a valve movably mounted within thechamber and having a part thereon that engages the valve seat and closes the opening therethrough; a pin connected with and projecting across the chamber; a yielding member between the valve and pin, which normally exerts its tension so as to hold the valve on its seat; a mouth piece slidably mounted upon the body member having an inwardly turned shoulder thereon which engages a shoulder upon the head of the body member and thereby limits the movement of the mouth piece in one direction; and a pin ixed in the mouth piece and projecting across the opening therethrough in line with the valve, whereby it will engage and move the valve when the mouth piece has movement in one direction relatively to the body member.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto atliXed our signatures.

SAMUEL H. HAHN. FRED MORSE. 

